Jungle Theater

For more than two decades, Bain Boehlke’s creation has provided a striking mix of classical theater, 20th-century classics, and modern works. Boehlke was past 50 when the theater veteran had an epiphany about starting a small theater in the Twin Cities. It opened in a 90-seat storefront theater on Lake Street and quickly established itself as one of the places to go for high-quality theater in Minneapolis. The theater thrived and later moved to its present location a couple of blocks away on Lyndale. Though the stage and seating is a bit larger, the venue is still intimate. The Jungle presents five or six productions each year, ranging from recent works (Venus in Fur and Urinetown) to classics (Hamlet). Mid-century pieces are a real specialty for Boehlke and the other directors, tackling the likes of Waiting of Godot, The Glass Menagerie and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf in recent years. All of this has made the Jungle a popular place for actors, both young and veteran, to ply their trade. Not every production at the Jungle works – no theater can claim that – but you will always find a well-made and well-acted piece inside its walls.